KotOR: Eternal Struggle
by Lady Annora
Summary: This one-shot happens directly after KotOR ends. Mainly focuses on Carth Onasi and Revan. Short and sweet.


Ahoy. New fic I'm writing, it's based on Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic.Not sure where this will take me, for now the outline is what happens between Carth and Revan, whom I had named Telara Starsong in my game. Read it, review it if you like it, or have suggestions._  
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_ I don't own Star Wars. All characters, unless they're OCs, are property of Lucas Arts and BioWare (best game company ever!).  
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_"I can't help but wonder what would have happened if our roles had been reversed, Revan."_

Malak had been a fool, an arrogant and corrupted fool, but it was not always so. His dying words refused to leave her mind, and she ran through their last conversation over and over again as she tore through the Star Forge. No doubt the Republic fleet was moving into position to commence fire, which meant she had only moments to get back to the Ebon Hawk, but even that couldn't remove Malak from her thoughts. Was it really her fault that he had become what he was? What the hell had she done as Revan?

Her feet took her to the hangar, and as the door opened, the one thing that could break her train of thought came running at her.

"Telara! What the hell happened in there?" Carth asked, exasperated.

She couldn't help but smile at him, he was always there to give her the support she needed.

"It's over, Darth Malak is dead. I couldn't... I couldn't redeem him, I couldn't bring him back to the light." _I couldn't save him. _The gravity of the events that had transpired seemed to crush down on her, and she suddenly felt very weary. She clipped her twin sabers on to her belt, and rubbed her temples, willing the pounding to go away.

"Don't beat yourself up over it. I don't think anyone expected that he could be saved... or that anyone would even try. You did good, Telara. You did really good." Carth smiled encouragingly at her, his brown eyes twinkling with love and admiration. "But we can talk more later, we have to get moving. The Republic's capitol ships are in position, which means this whole place is going to come down around our ears. Let's move it, to the Ebon Hawk!" He grasped her hand in his, pulling her along as they boarded their ship. Once they had safely cleared the ramp, Carth let go of her and ran to the cockpit.

She could feel the ship humming around her as they made their escape from the Star Forge. Telara sank to her knees, the emotions she had kept bottled up for so long finally breaking free and flooding through her body. Her carefully constructed barriers came crashing down, one after the other, and she now felt like she couldn't care less if she showed weakness around her companions. Bastila was dead, killed by her own hands. Malak, her best friend throughout her training, slain by _her_ sabers. The tears she had held back for what seemed like an eternity, now spilled freely down her cheeks, and while the crew was cheering and celebrating, she had broken down into sobs.

This wasn't right, Jedi aren't supposed to cry, she should be above these kinds of emotions. Why couldn't she stop the sobs that were wracking her body? She raised her hands to her face in an attempt to muffle the sound of her cries, her raven hair falling forward to obscure her face from view. How long did she spend there on the floor? She couldn't be sure, it seemed like hours, but it could have been only minutes. All she knew was someone was carrying her now, someone with strong arms, someone who smelled of soap and sweat. He set her down on one of the beds, stroking her hair and trying to wipe her tears away.

"Shh now, love. Everything is fine now. I'm here, we're together, it's all okay," Carth crooned softly. He'd never thought in a million years that he would see this side of her, especially not after he'd learned of her true identity. Darth Revan, the Sith Lord, who was curled up in the fetal position bawling in front of him now. Their travels together, and the mission they'd been sent on by the Jedi council had brought the two of them close. Closer than he'd thought possible. If he'd known all those months ago when he dragged her unconscious form out of the escape pod that he would fall in love with this raven haired beauty, he'd have laughed. She was willful and arrogant, cheeky and headstrong, but he had been so intrigued by her, if not mistrustful.

And it wasn't as if his feelings were unfounded, it had only just recently been revealed who she truly was. If he'd known then that the soldier he'd saved was the former Dark Lord of the Sith, he wouldn't have hesitated in killing her. He would've shot her right then and there, of that he was certain. However, being with her on this ship, going through everything they went through together, he couldn't hate her. Her flirtacious remarks, her mysterious smile, those deep violet eyes that told of sorrow held within... He'd been infatuated with her since they'd first talked on Taris, he knew it then, even if he had staunchly denied it in his own mind. He couldn't help it, really. She was so enigmatic, and he understood why people had been so willing to follow her and Malak in the Mandalorian Wars. There was just something about her, maybe it was the unwavering self-confidence, or the air of expertise she had about her. He smiled to himself. How many times had he told her off for being such a frustratingly stubborn woman? But he adored it, her personality was what sucked him in.

His eyes traveled down once more, resting on her tear-streaked face, and pain struck him in the chest. This was not the strong and proud Telara Starsong he knew, and it hurt him like a knife slicing through him. She reached her hand out to him, and brushed her milky white fingers down his stubble.

"Carth," she hiccoughed. "Carth, I killed them, it's my fault. I-I'm..." she closed her eyes and swallowed hard. "I'm so sorry, for your wife and son, for your planet, for everything. I'm so sorry, Carth." As the words left her lips, she knew she meant them. Ever since Carth had told her about his homeworld, Telos, and what happened to his family... There had been this feeling of incomprehensible guilt, and now that she knew who she was, she knew it was the truth. If only she hadn't been such a foolish girl, if only she had thought things through before running off to stop the Mandalorians. Why did she fall to the dark side? She'd taken everything from this man who sat in front of her, trying to calm her and telling her he loved her. She didn't deserve his love, she didn't deserve his attention. She was a vile being, she'd caused far too much death, and yet there he was...

Her apology meant everything to him, and his vision blurred slightly as the tears stung to his eyes. "I-I don't know what to say, Telara." He smiled feebly at her, running his hand down her soft face. "It wasn't your fault. For so long I just... I wanted someone to blame, I blamed Saul Karath, I blamed Malak, I blamed Revan. Hell, I even blamed the Jedi Council, but I know that it was never your fault. I love you, damnit. I love you." A tear escaped his eye, and traveled down his cheek, landing on Telara's hand. She stared at Carth, her crying subsiding as anguish was replaced with bewilderment and adoration. Carth leaned forward and captured her lips in a kiss, the first kiss he'd had in years.

He pressed hungrily against her, intoxicated by her faint flowery scent and the warmth emanating from her body. His strong arms encircled her petite frame, and his tongue slowly parted her lips. She tasted better than he'd imagined, how long had he yearned to do this? He felt her wrap her own arms around his neck, and their kiss deepened, making her tremble slightly. Each time their tongues touched, it sent a shiver through his body. He felt as though through her, he was connected to the entire universe. _Is this the Force?_ he mused silently.

This feeling... what was this? She'd never felt so alive, so at peace. She breathed in his scent, and entwined her tongue with his. She entangled her fingers in his soft brown hair, her body tingling all over. His stubble scratched at her face, but she didn't mind; she welcomed the feeling. She hadn't realized how much she'd longed for this sort of contact with him. To be just a woman, and not an untouchable Jedi Knight. To lose herself completely in his arms. She loved this, she loved him.

He was the one to end the kiss, but he did not pull away from her. He stared into her lovely violet eyes, running his hands up and down her back. "I want you to stay with me. I want us to make a new life together, to start over. No Sith, no ships, just you and I." He smiled affectionately at her.

"I think I'd like that, Carth," she whispered in response, resting her head on his shoulder. She'd never felt more at peace than she did now, and she understood now why Jolee had said love was worth the risk.


End file.
